Understanding The Methadone Prison

Is Methadone A Treatment?

When speaking to groups or on the radio, our staff here at Novus Medical
Detox Centers are often asked for our opinion of methadone, a dangerous
opioid promoted as an acceptable solution for people who have been addicted
to heroin, OxyContin, or other opioids.

We respond that, logically, the best treatment for heroin, OxyContin, or
other opioid addiction is to help the person addicted to that drug become
drug free. Continuing their addiction by simply switching to another dangerous
drug – one that both Congress and the FDA has said is legal, but
is still incredibly addictive – does not get them closer to being
drug-free.

For most people, methadone “treatment” is really a trap every
bit as terrible as heroin or OxyContin addiction. Putting people on methadone
is keeping them in a prison where they are not confined by walls, but
by their dependence on the drug.

The person interviewing us will often include that they know people who
were in and out of jail for criminal acts when they were on heroin, but
are now on methadone and actually have a job. Our response is that they
may be living a better life than when they were addicted to heroin or
OxyContin, but this life is nothing compared to the life they can have
if they are withdrawn from methadone and are completely drug free.

But getting off methadone is not that easy. Our patients who were taking
over 100 milligrams of methadone a day came to Novus because we are one
of the few facilities that can help them detox from their
high dose methadone addiction. Prior to learning about Novus, almost all of these patients had decided
that they had to get off methadone because it was ruining their lives,
and had previously tried to taper off methadone on their own but failed.
They often contacted other detox facilities, but found that they were
unwilling to accept them, or found that they were unable to assure them
that they would not be in constant pain from the withdrawal. Finally,
they decided that there was no way to withdraw from methadone because
of the pain and that they would be "lifers" and never able to
get off methadone.

Being addicted to methadone is far from a life sentence call Novus Medical
Detox Centers at (855) 464-8550 today to speak with one of our caring
and experienced detox advisors today!

What Is Life On Methadone Addiction Like?

It is interesting to hear that most people who believe methadone addiction
is an acceptable way of dealing with heroin, OxyContin, or other opioid
addiction don’t have any sense or experience about what life on
methadone is really like. While many people have forgotten to take medicine
and had no ill effect from it, the effects of this are nothing compared
to forgetting to take a dose of methadone. Failing or forgetting to take
a dose of a methadone on time can put that person into painful withdrawal.
In many cases, the clinics people need to go to are located many miles
away, and are only open for a few hours in the morning or afternoon, often
at inconvenient times for someone working to hold down a regular job.

We have asked our patients about life on methadone. Here are some of the
things that we were told about their life:

You get up early to drive to a methadone clinic that is often in a less
desirable part of town;

You stand in line with a variety of people, some who haven’t bathed
in weeks and some wearing business suits;

You make up excuses about why you can’t leave town for a few days
when your friends ask you to go with them;

You find your kids getting upset with you because you can never take off
for a few days to take them camping or to an amusement park in another town;

You have less and less energy;

You look in the mirror and see someone that looks much older than your
friends of the same age;

You worry that your libido is constantly getting lower and lower;

You get Viagra, but even that doesn’t seem to help;

You don’t get high anymore on methadone, you just hope you don’t
get sick. Even then, you might still get sick even with the methadone;

You take a benzodiazepine like Xanax or drink too much to get a “buzz”,
potentially leading to an overdose or alcohol poisoning;

You feel “scooped out” or hollow inside;

You frequently have colds, catch everything going around, and are sick
for longer than your friends or family members who catch the flu or a cold;

You have trouble getting any restful sleep at night no matter how long
you lay in bed;

You find it increasingly difficult to concentrate, and you begin to have
trouble remembering the names of people you have known for years;

You have trouble performing your job;

You notice your muscles are getting more flabby but you don’t feel
like exercising;

You worry that your car won’t start and you will miss your dose;

You worry that there is an accident on the road and you won’t get
to the clinic in time;

You find yourself starting to nod off during the day;

You can’t leave town for a vacation because you can’t miss a dose;

You worry about being stopped for a traffic violation that keeps you from
arriving at the clinic in time for your dose;

You worry about being too sick to drive to get your dose;

You worry about being in an accident that will leave you unconscious for
long enough that you start to go through withdrawals while in the hospital;

You see that your spouse or significant other is increasingly impatient,
and may begin to consider ending your relationship;

You find that the only people who really understand you are people who
are also on methadone or other drugs;

You really feel bad when you realize that you are paying $75-$100 per week
to feel like this;

You have concluded that the only escape from methadone is death.

The list of things we have been told by our patients could continue for
another page at least. Does this sound like a life that you would wish
on anyone?

Methadone Withdrawal — Fact Or Fantasy?

One of our patients was very excited that he had withdrawn from over 200
milligrams of methadone just 14 days after coming to Novus. He wanted
to share this with others, so he posted his success at a methadone internet
chat room. The other chat room members could not believe that anyone could
come off high doses of methadone in that short a period and not be so
sick that they couldn’t move. Some of these people actually criticized
him for posting a lie that just gave some gullible people false hope.

Some accuse us of attacking the people who take methadone. Winston Churchill said,

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills
the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an
unhealthy state of things.”

Addicting people to a terrible opioid like methadone is “an unhealthy
state of things.” We should demand that society not warehouse these
people but instead assist them to become drug free. We have to tell them
that there is a way to escape the methadone prison to which society has
sent them. Our patients are able to escape from their methadone prison.
All it takes is their decision and we will do the rest.

We develop an individualized medical detox program specifically for each
of our patients, which means no recovery will look the same. Our delicious
food, nutritional IVs and supplements, and specialized detox protocols
are all designed to quicken the healing process. We understand that various
addictions present a number of issues for the human body, so we create
our IVs and diets to fit the needs of specific withdrawal symptoms.

Our process is all about you, which is why we have private and shared rooms
available for our residents. Each room is outfitted with a TV, telephone,
and access to the internet. We also provide educational classes that will
show you how the drug or alcohol of your choice affects your body. We
believe that to effectively fight off your withdrawal symptoms, it is
important to know what you are fighting against and what to be prepared for.